By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The next phase of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, which is a 22-mile loop trail for pedestrians and bicyclists that links Lawrence and Hopewell townships, was unveiled before the township Planning Board Monday night.
Eleanor Horne, co-president of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corp., told the Planning Board that 75 percent of the 22-mile loop trail has been completed. The nonprofit group was appearing before the board to seek its support for construction of “two important segments” of the trail, she said.
Planning Board approval was not needed.
Those two segments the Lewisville Road segment and The Lawrenceville School connector will take pedestrians and bicyclists off road for a combined 3,450 feet through the former Union Camp property and the private school’s campus.
The 3,000-foot Lewisville Road segment will begin on Princeton Pike at the Brearley Oak, opposite Lenox Drive, said project manager Michael Gray. The trail, which will be 10 feet wide and made of porous pavement, will make use of some existing roads on the tract that now belongs to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
The trail will meander across the property, creating a “scenic, rolling path,” Mr. Gray said. It will not be a straight path. The goal is to take advantage of nature, he said. It will meander underneath some trees, creating a leafy, cool and scenic path, he said.
The Lewisville Road segment will end opposite the entrance driveway to The Lawrenceville School’s athletic fields which will mark the beginning of The Lawrenceville School connector, Mr. Gray said. The connector is a 450-foot-long paved path on the private school’s campus. It will be eight feet wide.
”The Lawrenceville School always wanted to show off more of the scenic part of the campus,” Mr. Gray said. Portions of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail have already been built on The Lawrenceville School’s campus, he added.
When Planning Board member Philip Duran questioned the safety of crossing Lewisville Road, Municipal Engineer James Parvesse said a crosswalk illuminated by small lights in the pavement would be installed. A speed bump to slow motorists also could be added, he said.
Mr. Gray told the planners that the Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corp. and Lawrence Township had received a grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to pay for the Lewisville Road segment.
Money from the $248,000 grant would cover most of the construction costs for the Lewisville Road segment estimated at around $200,000 and the remainder would be applied toward the The Lawrenceville School connector.
Lawrence Township would be in charge of construction of the Lewisville Road segment, and The Lawrenceville School would handle the project on its campus. Bids are expected to be opened in three weeks, and awarded by Township Council next month.
Mr. Gray said work will begin in the fall and should be completed in about six weeks.

